Travel Tips

GETTING THERE

Air routes and fares into Indonesia change constantly. As soon as the Official
Airlines Guide is published, it's out of date. Check the latest and
cheapest means of getting to Bali in the Sunday travel section of a major
metropolitan newspaper near you. Also check the Yellow Pages and adventure-travel
media.
The International Air Traffic Association
(IATA) is a cartel of air carriers that fixes high fares for all participating
carriers—you'll pay the same inflated rate no matter which of these airlines
you use. Avoid paying full IATA fares by buying your tickets from travel
agencies and consolidators. The latter discount agencies often offer gray-market
tickets at low rates that cannot be advertised. To know what fares, features,
and restrictions you're trying to beat, check first with Garuda, the Indonesian
national air carrier.
Before paying for your ticket, inquire about
restrictions, refunds, cancellation fees, and stopovers. Technically, to
obtain an Indonesian entry stamp you need a ticket out of Indonesia. In
reality, however, immigration officials never ask to see a ticket out.
Travelers under 26 should inquire about student discounts. Children four
to 12 could also receive substantial discounts.
A good deal could be an Advance Purchase Excursion
(APEX) fare, which must be reserved and paid for two to three weeks before
departure. There's a substantial penalty for cancellation, and no stopovers
are allowed. Since APEX tickets require rigid departure and return dates,
purchase one-way tickets only. Rates are lower in the off-season, February
to November. Always ask about special promotional fares.
Consider buying a one-way ticket from Europe
or the U.S. direct to Bangkok, Hong Kong, or Singapore; from these points
it's relatively inexpensive to continue on to Bali. Discounted roundtrip
flights from London to Bangkok cost £400 and from Los Angeles to
Bangkok around US$750. From Bangkok you can travel down to Penang, from
where it's an easy hop on a boat or plane to Medan, North Sumatra.
It doesn't usually pay to join a package from
Europe, U.S., or Australia because accommodations in Bali are so inexpensive.
However, Garuda Orient Holidays, a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia Airlines,
is an exception. They offer some airfare and hotel combos for little more
than the cost of airfare alone (see "From the U.S.A.," below). If you plan
to make a number of stops in Indonesia, investigate Garuda's Airpass, which
allows you to make three flights on any of 35 routes flown by Garuda or
Merpati for just US$300 extra. See the "Getting Around" section for details.

GatewaysYou can fly into Bali from all over the world. The three main international
air gateways are Jakarta, Denpasar, and Medan. By far the largest number
of flights arrive in Jakarta's international Sukarno/Hatta Airport, 20
km west of Jakarta in Cengkareng.
Unbelievably, except on expensive cruise ships,
slow passenger ferries, or private yachts, it's difficult to reach the
world's largest island nation by water. You'll find only two regular maritime
entry points. Ferries depart Penang, Malaysia for Medan, and a daily ferry
connects Singapore with Palau Batam in the Riau Archipelago; from there
you can board another ferry to Pekanbaru, East Sumatra, or Jakarta.
Ocean liners and cruise ships of Holland American
Lines, Spice Island Cruises, and Lindblad Travel call at remote Indonesian
ports at luxury prices. These upscale tour companies offer fly/cruise arrangements
whereby you're flown to Surabaya, Bali, or Medan to meet your cruise vessel.
See your travel agent.
All flights to Bali arrive at Ngurah Rai
Airport, which is actually referred to as "Denpasar" though it is 11
km south of Denpasar and three km south of Kuta at Tuban.

Circle-Pacific and Round-the-World TicketsUsing a combination of airlines out of the U.S.—Air New Zealand, Qantas,
MAS, Singapore Airlines—travelers can spend up to a year circling the Pacific
and Southeast Asia. For Qantas and Air New Zealand, you're looking at around
US$2449 roundtrip, 14-day advance purchase, with four stopovers. Additional
stopovers are US$75-200 extra. Most require that you use all your tickets
within 12 months, some give only six months. To save money, either ask
your travel agent to do business through a consolidator offering flights
to Asia, or call a consolidator directly. The cheapest fares entail midweek
departures.
Air Brokers International, Inc., 323
Geary St., Ste. 411, San Francisco, CA 94102, U.S.A., tel. (800) 883-3273
or (415) 397-1383, fax 397-4767, sells more round-the-world tickets than
any other U.S. consolidator.
Bali is often included as a stopover on many
round-the-world tickets. The variations possible in round-the-world itineraries
depend on the ticketing alternative the traveler selects. The best and
most expensive is the full-fare, full-service ticket. You can go where
you like on almost any airline and take six months or a year doing it.
The main drawback is you have to zig-zag around the world in one direction
only, booking individual flights as you go without the privilege of switching
carriers. Plus, all your flights may not be available when you want them.
You sacrifice some flexibility but save some cash by buying a round-the-world
package offered by an individual airline or specific group of airlines.
It's cheaper still to string together several discount tickets, acquired
in such bargain centers as London, Bangkok, or Hong Kong.
Ticket packages vary considerably in price,
length of validity, and number of stopovers permitted. If your round-the-world
ticket doesn't offer a stop in Bali, try to land as close as possible—Singapore
or Bangkok—then hop down to the archipelago.
Singapore Airlines sells a US$2570 economy
ticket with stops in at least three cities; six-month validity, 14-day
advance purchase. The airline offers daily flights east from New York to
Bali via European cities and Singapore; and west to Bali via Singapore.
Qantas offers a US$3000 ticket on a 21-day advance purchase.

Arriving by AirIn the luggage pick-up areas in both the domestic and international
terminals at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport there are well-staffed hotel
booking counters. Have the clerks (all speak English) try to arrange free
transport for you to a hotel of your choice (usually only higher-priced
hotels are represented here, US$50 and up). The two terminals are only
about a five minute walk from each other.
In the International Terminal you have to
clear customs first. Curiously, in spite of the large number of tourists
visiting Bali, the customs officers are among the most officious and demanding
in all of Indonesia. Get in a long line where they are under more pressure
to process you faster.
After customs there are a number of quick
and honest moneychangers, both inside and outside the terminal, where you
might as well change money because the rates only vary a few points from
what you can get anywhere else on the island. There are also tourist information
booths with a fairly good amount of literature.
After changing money, look for your hotel
vehicle for a free ride. If you've booked ahead the driver will usually
be there to greet you, holding up a sign with your name on it. For a taxi,
go up to the taxi window, buy your ticket, and then present it in the taxi
line. Fixed tarifs to various parts of the island are: Kuta Rp8000-10,000
(depending upon which part), Legian (7 km) Rp11,500, Seminyak (9 km) Rp12,500,
Denpasar (14 km) Rp15,000, Ubung Station (17 km) Rp16,000, Sanur (18 km)
Rp17,500, Nusa Dua Rp17,500, Jimbaran (10 km) Rp11,500, Tanjung Benoa (20
km) Rp18,500, Krobokan (17 km) Rp15,000, Batubulan Station (22 km) Rp21,000.
If going to Ubud, instead of paying the exorbitant
fare, just get a taxi to Batubulan (Rp21,000), then board a blue Izuzu
the rest of the way to Ubud for another Rp6000. If you want a cheaper metered
taxi to anywhere, you can push your cart to the end of the sidewalk only
about 100 meters from the entrance of the airport. Lug your stuff past
the toll booths to the first street on the left and then flag down a metered
yellow taxi, an even cheaper bemo, or hitch anything (someone will
stop). Yellow taxis are not allowed to pick up passengers at the airport,
but they are allowed to drop passengers off.

REACHING BALI FROM WITHIN INDONESIA

Bali is accessible from a number of different islands and directions. If
you're landing in Jakarta, you can travel overland all the way to Denpasar
on a comfortable, air-conditioned, long-distance night bus—a 24-hour trip—for
around Rp65,000 (Rp25,000 economy class). Regular and efficient ferries
leave from Ketapang, East Java to Gilimanuk, far-western Bali, and from
Lembar, Lombok, to Padangbai, east Bali.
Express buses to Denpasar are available from
Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Malang, and many other Javanese
cities. A reliable traveler's transport service is Perama, with
offices at Jl. Pembangunan 2 (tel. 021-345-3636) in Jakarta and Jl. Prawirotaman
29 (tel. 0274-72853) in Yogyakarta. Perama sells a bus ticket from Jakarta
to Denpasar for Rp60,000 and from Yogyakarta to Denpasar (15 hours) for
Rp45,000.
All buses from Java terminate at Denpasar's
Ubung bus station from where you can take a bemo to other stations
in Denpasar, or connect with other bemo to go anywhere on the island.
If you want to go to Lovina in northern Bali's Buleleng District, buy a
ticket to Gilimanuk in far west Bali from where you can catch a bemo
to Lovina.

By SeaPelni, Indonesia's national shipping concern, operates 20 passenger/cargo
ships, each of which navigates a different interisland loop every two weeks.
For the latest timetables and routes—which change about every 90 days—check
with one of the Pelni offices before you go. On Bali, Pelni's port is Benoa
just west of Sanur. The ships offer four classes, from deck class or economy—where
you sleep in a huge common room—to first class private cabins with inside
bathroom, a/c, and TV.
It's important to book ahead. The main Pelni
office is at Jl. Gajah Mada 14 (tel. 021-343307, fax 381-0341). Ticket
offices: Jl. Angkasa 18, Jakarta (tel. 021-421-7406); Jl. Pelabuhan, Benoa
Harbor, Bali (tel. 0361-228962); Jl. Industri 1, Ampenan (tel. 0364-37212,
fax 31604); Jl. Kol Sugiono 5, Medan (tel. 061-518899); Jl. Pahlawan 3,
Kupang, West Timor (tel. 0391-21944).

By AirFour major domestic airlines (Garuda, Merpati, Bouraq, and Sempati)
and a number of military, timber and oil, and private air-transport companies
service every corner of the archipelago. Always shop around to get the
best fares. Sample one-way fares to Bali: from Jakarta, Rp220,000; from
Kupang, Rp192,000; from Medan, Rp400,000. Don't forget to add Rp4500-7500
per departure for domestic airport tax.

FROM MALAYSIA

From PenangMalaysia is a good place to buy cheap air tickets. Refer to the Straits
Times for ads. Popular with travelers is the low-priced hop from Penang
across the Strait of Malacca to Medan in North Sumatra, from where you
can work your way through western Indonesia to Bali. The MAS flight leaves
Penang daily, takes just 20 minutes, and costs around M$54 one-way, M$108
roundtrip.
An excellent high-speed ferry service operates
between Penang and Medan every Tuesday and Friday at 0800, returning from
Medan to Penang the same day at 1330. First-class fare is M$100 one-way,
M$180 roundtrip; economy class is M$90 one-way, M$160 roundtrip. Children
two to 12 fly half price. Free refreshments and snacks and free transfer
from the port of Belawan to Medan city center are included. Belawan customs
doesn't seem to check tickets out. In Penang, buy ferry tickets at the
KPLFS office, PPC Shopping Complex, Jl. Pusara King Edward, 10300 Penang,
tel. (04) 625630 or 625631, fax 625508. In Medan, call (061) 514888 or
518340. Travel agencies and hotels along Chulia Street in Penang sell tickets.

From Kuala LumpurMalaysia's capital is a real travel bargain center. It's now just as
cheap flying to Bali from Kuala Lumpur as from Singapore. The flight to
Medan with MAS or Garuda is around M$78 one-way, M$156 roundtrip. MAS now
flies from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya, from where it's a short flight or
overland trip to Bali.
Student Travel Australia (STA), sixth
floor, UBN Tower Letter Box 32, 10 Jalan P. Ramlee, 50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, sells a Kuala Lumpur-Denpasar MAS or Garuda ticket for about
half the price of other agencies. On the same street as STA in Kuala Lumpur
are other cheap ticketing agencies.

FROM SINGAPORE

By AirSingapore is a popular and convenient departure point for Denpasar,
Bali. Remember that 30-day excursion fares are usually cheaper than regular
fares. Check travel agencies for the cheapest fares. Many advertise in
the Straits Times. Airmaster Travel Center, 36-B Prinsep
St., Room 1, Singapore 0718, tel. 338-3942 or 337-6838, sells a Singapore-Jakarta-Denpasar
ticket and a Singapore-Denpasar ticket with a stopover in Yogyakarta. Ask
about their 30-day excursion fares. Price varies depending on airline and
length of stay.
Student discount tickets (ID card required)
are available from Singapore to Denpasar. Check with Student Travel
Australia (STA), 02-17 Orchard Parade Hotel, 1 Tanglin Rd., Singapore
1024, tel. 734-5681, fax 737-2591.

By SeaTravelers can enter the Riau Archipelago, three hours south of Singapore,
on their own and visa-free by taking a ferry (S$20, 40 minutes) from Singapore
to Palau Batam or Palau Bintan. Launches leave every couple hours from
Finger Pier, Prince Edward Rd., Singapore. A speedboat also runs directly
from Singapore to Tanjung Pinang for S$45 (two and a half hours).
From Tanjung Pinang, a Pelni ship sails to
Jakarta every other Sunday. The Pelni office is at 50 Telok Blangah Rd.
No. 02-02, Citiport Centre, Singapore 0409, tel. 272-6811, 271-5159, or
271-8685. These ships provide the cheapest way of getting to Jakarta from
Singapore (about S$35 total). However, they leave early in the morning
and require at least one night in Tanjung Pinang. If you plan to arrive
in Tanjung Pinang from Singapore on Saturday, you'll encounter another
problem. The Pelni office—Ketapang 8, tel. 2151—closes at 1300 Saturday,
and the direct ferry from Singapore to Tanjung Pinang (S$46) won't get
you there in time to buy your Pelni ticket for the following day. Solution:
Take the smaller, faster boat from Singapore to Palau Batam (45 minutes).
Go through customs in Sekupang and catch a taxi across the islands to Kabil.
From Kabil, speedboats leave constantly for Tanjung Pinang (crossing time
30 minutes); when you arrive catch a minibus (Rp200) to the Pelni office.
Once in Jakarta, you can either fly or head overland to Bali.

From ThailandNear the Malaysia Hotel in Bangkok are a number of travel agencies
selling cheap tickets. Fares and departure dates fluctuate, and getting
a straight answer to a seemingly simple question is like trying to bite
the wind. Walk around and compare prices. Student and off-season discounts
are available, as are package deals offering no-frills indirect flights.
K Travel Service, 21/33 Soi Ngam Dupli, Bangkok 10120, tel. (2)
286-1468, has a good reputation among travelers. Several other agencies
are found along Sukhumvit Road. STA in Viengtai Hotel is expensive but
honest.

From Japan and KoreaTokyo is a better place to buy air tickets than is generally realized.
The city's many resident gaijin (foreigners) are required by Japanese
immigration to periodically leave the country and reenter. This requirement
has created a ready market for cheap excursion fares. Many discount travel
agencies specializing in overseas flights advertise in English-language
media like the Japan Times and Tokyo Journal. Tokyo's a big
place, so it's best to phone around and compare prices.
The following agencies are worth checking:
Council Travel, Sanno Grand Bldg., Room 102, 14-2 Nagata-cho, 2-chome,
Chiyoda-ko, Tokyo 100, tel. (03) 3581-7581; STA, seventh floor,
Nukariya Bldg., 1-16-20 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-Ku, tel. 5391-2889, fax
5391-2923; A.B.C. Air Bank Co., tel. 233-1177; Asahi International
Travel, tel. 584-5732; E.H.L., tel. 351-2131; M.I.C.,
tel. 370-6577; N.L.C., tel. 988-7801. The only nonstop flight from
Tokyo to Bali is offered by Garuda on DC-10 widebody jets for US$1021 one-way
coach fare; US$1752 one-way first class.
Few discounters are found in Korea. The travel
agent in the USO Club outside the gates of the Yongsan U.S. Army
Garrison is worth a try: 104 Kalwol-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, tel. (2) 792-3063
or 792-3028. He sells mostly roundtrip tickets to Asian destinations for
GIs and dependents. Also try the Korean International Student Exchange
Society (KISES), YMCA Bldg., Room 505, Chongno 2-ga, Seoul. Tickets
to Jakarta sometimes sell for as little as US$550.

FROM AUSTRALIA

From Australia, even economy-class tickets are expensive. Qantas and Garuda
offer frequent service to Bali from Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin,
Melbourne, Perth, Port Hedland, and Sydney. Only Garuda offers the Darwin,
while only Qantas flies from Brisbane. Flight time from Melbourne to Bali
is about six hours, from Sydney to Bali about five and a half hours.
Qantas and Garuda offer precisely the same
fares and flight restrictions to Bali (A$753 one-way, A$915 roundtrip),
with seven-day minimum stay, maximum 45 days. During the Dec.-Feb. high
season, flights from Australia to Bali are heavily booked; reserve your
place at least three months ahead.
Fly to Bali from Perth for A$596 one-way,
A$937 roundtrip (peak); A$504 one-way, A$787 roundtrip (low). Flight time
is three and a half hours. Perth-Denpasar-Jakarta flights leave twice weekly.
If you have an International Student ID card, check out STA flights from
Perth to Bali. Student and under-26 fares are about 10% cheaper.
The cheapest indirect flight to Bali is on
Royal Brunei, which flies from Darwin (A$902) or Brisbane (A$1054
roundtrip) via Brunei once a week. You arrive in Bali the same day you
take off. They also fly from Perth (A$876 roundtrip) twice a week, but
you have to overnight in Brunei.
Many travelers fly from Darwin to Kupang,
West Timor, then island-hop to Bali. From Kupang, regular flights to Denpasar
cost A$190 one-way. From Darwin, Merpati flies to Kupang twice weekly for
A$330 one-way, A$407 roundtrip in low season. This flight leaves each Saturday
morning and takes two hours; return flights leave Friday. Upon arrival
in Kupang you'll receive a 60-day entry stamp.
Ansett International flies to Bali
from Sydney, Melbourne, and Darwin twice weekly; from Brisbane to Bali
once weekly; and from Perth to Bali three times weekly. Fares from Brisbane
and Adelaide are the same as from Melbourne and Sydney. You'll find scant
difference between the fares offered by all the airlines—Ansett, Qantas,
Garuda—which service Bali.

Package Holidays and Group ToursNumerous package tours from Sydney and Melbourne to Bali are available
for around A$800. Even though you pay for places and services unseen, the
prices on a twin-share all-inclusive package are unbeatable: Sydney to
Bali, A$900 (peak), A$750 (low) for eight days, and from A$1150 for 15
days. This includes airfare, transfers, accommodations, continental breakfast
in a three-star hotel, and a token sightseeing tour or two. Each extra
night costs only A$20 per person. Children are usually charged two-thirds
the adult airfare.
Certain restrictions may apply. Departure
and return schedules are usually unchangeable. The tour packages issue
hotel vouchers, which you exchange for accommodations in either Sanur,
Kuta, Nusa Dua, or Ubud. Other packages offer accommodations in Jimbaran,
Lovina, and Candidasa. Vouchers are sometimes also issued for dining or
for rental of bicycles or motorcycles. The final price depends on how long
you stay, the class of hotel you choose, and when you go. Low-season fares
are in force from February to March and from 16 October to 30 November;
shoulder season is 16-31 January, April-May, and 1 July to 15 October;
high season is 1 December to 15 January.
Package tour prices can be so good that some
travelers take advantage of the cheap airfares offered and ignore the vouchers.
Don't sign on for too many extensions and additional sightseeing tours
because these can be purchased much cheaper in Bali. Look for deals in
the travel sections of Australia's big-city newspapers. Find a flexible
agent who can arrange for you to use vouchers in a selection of hotels
so your movement won't be too restricted.
Australia is the place to take advantage of
some unique adventure and sports tours to Bali offered by specialist tour
operators. Surf Travel Company, with offices at 12 Cronulla Plaza,
Cronulla Beach, Sydney (tel. 02-527-4722), and at Kirra Surf Centre, corner
of Gold Coast Highway and Coolangatta Road, Kirra, Queensland (tel. 075-5599-2818),
sells surfing packages to Bali including accommodations, meals, and transport.
Pro Dive, Royal Arcade, Shop 620, Pitt St., Sydney (tel. 02-9264-9499),
specializes in dive packages to Bali including airfare, accommodations,
diving equipment, and transport to dive sites.

FROM NEW ZEALAND

Both Air New Zealand and Garuda offer twice-weekly direct flights between
Auckland and Denpasar for NZ$1358 (low season) and NZ$1518 (high season).
Fourteen-day advance purchase is required, and you must stay a minimum
of five days and a maximum of 35 days. Add at least NZ$350 if you fly from
Christchurch or Wellington.

FROM THE U.S.A.

Airlines serving Bali from the U.S. include Garuda Indonesia, Hong Kong
Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, China Airlines, Malaysia
Airlines, and KLM. An hour or so spent calling toll-free numbers (see below)
will provide the most up-to-date info on current airfares, timetables,
and connections.
The travel sections of the Los Angeles
Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and San Francisco Examiner
are full of ads for cut-rate transpacific flights. Other good sources are
Great Expeditions Magazine, 242 W. Milbrook, Suite 102-A, Raleigh,
NC 27609, tel. (800) 743-3639, fax (919) 847-0780; and ITN, 520
Calvados Ave., Sacramento, CA 95815.
If you work through travel agents, have them
contact a knowledgeable Asian consolidator for the best fares. If you plan
to travel in the high season (June-Sept., December, and the Chinese New
Year), you'll need to book months in advance. If you're planning extended
travel in Asia, buy an open ticket valid for one year.
Tickets from the U.S. west coast to Hong Kong
or Singapore average US$1150 one-way or US$1400 roundtrip. From these points
board another flight to Jakarta or Bali. Some incredibly cheap tickets
are available between Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Singapore
with stops in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.
The real bargain fares into Bali depart from
Los Angeles. For as little as US$1000 in the off-season, Malaysia Airlines
flies from Los Angeles to either Tokyo or Taipei (two-hour layover), then
flies to Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar. One free stopover is allowed each way,
and the total travel time to Bali is 24 hours.
Singapore Airlines flies to Bali from
New York via Frankfurt or Amsterdam for US$1375 (low season) and $1575
(high season); flying time is 26 hours. SIA also flies to Bali from Los
Angeles with a two-hour stopover in Singapore for US$1150 roundtrip low
season, $1275 high season. China Airlines offers daily flights from
Los Angeles to Bali via Taiwan.
Continental flies from Los Angeles
to Denpasar four times weekly for US$1450 roundtrip, via Honolulu and Guam.
The low-season fare is US$1350 roundtrip, for departures before May 31.
You're allowed one stopover, for up to six months. American Airlines
and United Airlines both offer regular flights from major cities
to Los Angeles and New York, with connections to Bali.
KLM flies from New York to Jakarta
via Amsterdam; one-way fare is US$1234 coach, US$2059 first class. Icelandic
Airways, tel. (800) 223-5500, connects New York with Luxembourg for
US$159; from there you can catch a cut-rate European charter to Asia. Malaysia
Airlines flies five times weekly from Los Angeles to Bali via Tokyo
and Kuala Lumpur. Thai International offers four flights weekly
from Los Angeles to Bali via Bangkok and Seoul.

Garuda IndonesiaGaruda offers direct flights four times a week between Los Angeles
and Bali, via Hawaii (18 hours). The usual fare is US$1050 (low season),
US$1225 (high season) from Los Angeles to Bali. This is the same fare as
from Los Angeles to Jakarta. From New York, the ticket to Bali via Los
Angeles is US$1350 (low season) and US$1575 (high season).
Garuda doesn't give discounts on tickets you
buy from them. You get one "free" stopover in Bali on the flight from Los
Angeles to Jakarta. Ask about Garuda's Visit Indonesia Pass, which allows
you to visit three cities in Indonesia for US$300. Each additional city
costs US$100, to a maximum of 10 cities. For more information, call (800)
247-8380, or fax (213) 389-1568.
North American Garuda Offices: 3457
Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010, tel. (800) 342-7832 inside California
or (800) 826-2829 outside California; 360 Post St., Ste. 804, San Francisco,
CA 94108, tel. (415) 788-2626; 51 E. 42nd St., Ste. 616, New York, NY 10017,
tel. (800) 248-2829 outside New York or (212) 370-0707 inside eastern region;
1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 632, Honolulu, HI 96814, tel. (808) 947-9500;
1040 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6E 4H1, tel. (604) 681-3699.
Garuda Orient Holidays: Some airfare
and hotel combos offered by Garuda cost little more than the airfare alone.
For US$1279 in the high season, US$1099 in the low season, you can buy
a roundtrip package from Los Angeles to Denpasar with five nights in Kuta,
including transfers and sightseeing tours. Inquire also about their eight-day
and 15-day packages that include airfare from Los Angeles, all transfers,
and five nights in Ubud for only US$1500. Hard to beat. The price depends
largely on the rating of the hotel you stay in. For more information call
(800) 247-8380 from the U.S. and Canada.

From HawaiiAsia Travel Service, tel. (808) 926-0550 interisland or (800)
884-0550, sells tickets to Bali or Jakarta for US$799. Also check out Panda
Travel, tel. (808) 734-1961, fax 732-4136. Emerson Travel offers
a seven-day tour of Bali for US$950, including five nights in a hotel,
daily breakfast, airfare, transfers, and day tours. A tour to Yogyakarta
is optional. Emerson also sells tickets to Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta, Solo,
and Surabaya for US$799.

FROM CANADA

With persistence, some good bargains are available from Toronto, Montreal,
and Vancouver. Look for cheap flights at travel agencies specializing in
Southeast Asia and in the Toronto Globe and Mail. Discount agents offer low-season roundtrip
fares of C$1400 on Air Canada flights that connect with Garuda in Los Angeles.
High-season fare is C$1600.
Another approach is to try to find a cheap
flight to Bangkok, then travel overland to Bali. Consolidators in Canada
sell roundtrip tickets on Canadian Airlines (tel. 800-776-3000)
to Bangkok via Vancouver and Hong Kong for as low as US$750 in the low
season, US$850 peak season. Flying time is 21 hours. Also check out Cathay
Pacific flights out of Vancouver, connecting with Garuda in Los Angeles
or Honolulu. Their low season fares are as little as C$1200, high season
C$1425.
Probably the best bucket shop in Canada is
Adventure Centre, 17 Hayden St., Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2P2, tel.
(800) 661-7265, with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Also an excellent choice is Nouvelles Frontieres, 1001 Sherbrook East,
Ste. 720, Montreal, H2L 1L3, tel. (514) 526-8444; another branch is in
Quebec City.
Travel Cuts, the Canadian student travel
bureau, sells consistently inexpensive fares: C$850 one-way (C$1340 roundtrip)
to Jakarta. Travel Cuts main office is located at 187 College St., Toronto,
Ontario M5T 1P7, tel. (416) 979-2406. Pan Express Travel, 6 Wellesley
St., Ste. 303, Toronto M41 186, tel. (416) 964-6888, is worth checking
out as well.

FROM THE NETHERLANDS

You can fly from Amsterdam to Indonesia at very reasonable prices—sometimes
even cheaper than flying from Sydney to Singapore. One of the cheapest
flights from Holland is with Czechoslovakian Airlines—a 20-hour Amsterdam-Prague-Abu
Dhabi-Bombay-Singapore-Jakarta jaunt.
To find the cheapest flights, check the Saturday
editions of Holland's main national newspapers. The best is Volkakrant.
Many small ticketing offices are found in Amsterdam's Chinese quarter (where
you might find a Cathay Pacific flight for 1200-1300 guilders). Ask if
the agent is a member of ANVR, a union of travel agents which requires
its members to join a fund that guarantees your ticket in case anything
goes wrong.
The problem of leaving from Holland lies not
in the reasonableness of the fares but in being able to actually get a
seat on an aircraft during the July-August busy season, when 150,000 Netherlanders
fly to Indonesia. You can always buy a First Class ticket on KLM, but it
may be hard to find a cheap Garuda, KLM, MAS, SIA, or Thai discount ticket.
If you absolutely must get to Indonesia during
this time, try to get a flight to Frankfurt and then connect with a Lufthansa
flight to Indonesia for around 1600 guilders. Or you might try to get on
an expensive economy seat on an Air France flight out of Paris.
KLM and Garuda operate a weekly B747 joint
service between Amsterdam and Bali. The fare to Denpasar is 4075 guilders
one-way, 7416 guilders roundtrip. Garuda APEX fares from Amsterdam to Bali:
1593 guilders one-way, 2950 guilders roundtrip (minimum seven days, maximum
180 days, valid only until 31 May). Garuda's office is at Singel 540, 1017
AZ Amsterdam, tel. (020) 272-626.
Cheaper flights might be found through NBBS
(the official Dutch student travel agency), Rokin 38, tel. 624-0989, or
at Leidsestraat 53, tel. 638-1736. Another good outfit is Amber Reisbureau,
Da Costastraat 77, 1053 ZG Amsterdam, tel. (020) 685-1155; 100% reliable.
Also worth a try is ILC Reizen, NZ Voorburgwal 256, tel. 620-5121.

FROM LONDON

London is famous for low airfares to the Orient—the best place in Europe
to buy air tickets. In fact, you won't be able to find anything but
budget airfares, thanks to the city's many discount ticket outlets called
"bucket shops." Each shop may or may not have its own advance-purchase
requirements and cancellation penalties, so inquire.
The weekly Time Out, available at London
newsstands, contains ads for many bargain airfares and bucket shops. The
Sunday Times and the News and Travel Magazine may also prove
useful.
Cheap tickets may not be available at peak
periods, when airlines can fill their planes at higher prices. During the
summer high season, discount airfares to Bali run about £700, but
plummet to about £530-580 other times of the year.
Compare prices with those of Brunei Airlines
which are lately coming in as the cheapest low-season airlines from London
to Bali (about £700 in the high season). Also investigate Aeroflot
flights to Jakarta for £500 year-round, and Thai International's
flights.
Start inquiries at London's Garuda
office. To Bali, Garuda offers a fare of £708 one-way or £1159
roundtrip, minimum stay seven days, maximum 180 days. Garuda is the only
airline out of London which flies direct to Bali (21 hours). The flights
leave three times weekly, stopping en route in Zurich, Abu Dhabi, and Jakarta.
Also check Qantas and Singapore Airlines,
both offering nonstop flights to Bali via Singapore; they lay over just
an hour in Singapore, then fly straight to Bali (17 hours total).
When buying a ticket through a bucket shop,
don't pay more than a deposit before receiving the ticket—these agencies
have a high rate of closure. Make sure the shop you use belongs to the
Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA); its members guarantee a refund
in case the individual shop goes broke.
An appealing option is to fly London-Singapore,
for which fares are deeply discounted (around £600 roundtrip). Then—after
a trip into Malaysia—buy a roundtrip Singapore-Jakarta ticket.
Or try for a good fare from London to Australia
(around £500) with a stopover in Bali. A roundtrip ticket from London
to Sydney with a stopover in Singapore and Bali will run around £1000.
Various low-cost London-Australia and London-New Zealand flights are available
for about £500-800 roundtrip, with inexpensive stopovers in either
Singapore or Bali. The fewer the stopovers, the cheaper the ticket.

FROM IRELAND

No direct or nonstop flights serve Bali from Ireland, but agents can put
you on an Aer Lingus flight to London, connecting you with a Garuda, Thai
International Airways, SIA, or Qantas flight to Bali. From Dublin to Denpasar,
the best peak-season fare (July-Aug.) available presently is with Thai
Airways via London and Bangkok for IR£665. Garuda charges around
IR£775 for the Dublin-Denpasar flight in the high season and about
IR£150 less in the low season. From Belfast, get a flight first to
London with British Airways, then board a connecting flight to Bali. Roundtrip
fares start at around IR£765 in the high season, IR£650 in
the low season.